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Happy
Washington’s Birthday! This was President’s Day’s old name. I do hope everyone
is having a wonderful three-day weekend and are safe out there whatever fun
thing you’re doing.

Slave Elf is back, edited and the ebook versions ready to release on Amazon and Smashwords! I’m so excited about this release. Amazon releases tomorrow, the 19th and on Smashwords, the 28th. It is still on pre-order at Amazon and at Smashwords, if you want to be sure to get it now.

The
paperback version will be out as soon as the whole cover is completed. Maybe
even tomorrow. So if you enjoy reading your books in paperback, it will be
ready for you. And if you are a Dr. Who fan, check out my Slave Elf ad, (toward
the bottom of the home page, in the middle set of ads). Starting Tuesday, the
ad will say Released! instead of Coming Soon!

The
next project I have going is Gold Dreams. I went through the edits, and the
story is looking pretty good! I need to get that formatted so the cover for it
can be finished. Next week, though. I have to get Slave Elf onto Amazon this
week!

Giveaways:

The Valentine’s day giveaway is now over and
there are 45 prizes to give away and 45 books. The grand prize is $135 in
Paypal cash. A winner’s list will be out soon, and I’ll let you know who won my
prizes.

A St. Patrick’s Day giveaway will run soon. Stay tuned for that or check out my giveaways page on my website.

In the meantime, I’m in a promotion with 19 other women writers on Book Funnel. You can check out the books here. There are romances, mysteries, shifter stories and even a non-fiction. Don’t miss out. These are all free for a short time.

Where will I be?:

I have a speaking engagement at the March 2nd PEO International meeting in Goodyear, AZ. See the above flyer for all of the information. You can find out more about PEO International at http://www.PEOInternational.org.

If you are a fan of most any genre, I’m participating in an on-line cyber conference here: http://owscycon.ourwriteside.com/about-ows-cycon/. The event is May 17th through May 19th. There are discussion forums, author giveaways, and so much more. Check out the link and sign up to participate. Sign up also gets you news on what’s happening and when. So sign up today. You might just be the person we want to have in our panel discussion!

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click
here
to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy
and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my
newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests!
Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on.
Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are
coming.

Don’t
forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the
newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Thank
you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes
time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the
recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support
this blog.

Slave
Elf is with my editor in a third round and I should have it back today! I’m so
excited about this release. The story is now way more powerful than the
serialized version. If you’re excited about the new version, I have it on
pre-order at Amazon and at Smashwords.

The
next project I have going is Gold Dreams. I went through the edits, and the
story is looking pretty good! I need to get that formatted so the cover for it
can be finished. Next week, though. I have to get Slave Elf onto Amazon this
week!

Giveaways:

The Valentine’s day giveaway is open and there are 45 prizes to give away and 45 books. The grand prize is $135 in Paypal cash. What are you waiting for? Click here to find the free Rafflecopter. Please note, we are asking for you to sign up for newsletters and such. We’ve had some authors get very rude emails from people who knew the rules of the giveaway and decided to be trolls about it when they received a newsletter. No one needs that kind of negativity.

In the meantime, I’m in a promotion with 19 other women writers on Book Funnel. You can check out the books here. There are romances, mysteries, shifter stories and even a non-fiction. Don’t miss out. These are all free for a short time.

Where will I be?:

I have a speaking engagement at the March 2nd PEO International meeting in Goodyear, AZ. See the above flyer for all of the information. You can find out more about PEO International at PEOInternational.org.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click
here
to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy
and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my
newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests!
Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on.
Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are
coming.

Don’t
forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the
newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Thank
you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes
time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the
recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support
this blog.

It
was two months later that her parents arrived by stage. Mary met them at the
hotel then brought them by Mrs. Estrada’s carriage to Mrs. Estrada’s. Three
days later, the entire town turned out to Mrs. Estrada’s for the wedding.

Slave
Elf is with my editor in a third round. I’m so excited about this release. The story
is now way more powerful than the serialized version. If you’re excited about
the new version, I have it on pre-order at Amazon and at Smashwords.

The
next project is to start going over the edits for Gold Dreams. I have several
people telling me that they are very interested in my Western story.

The Valentine’s day giveaway is open and there are 45 prizes to give away and 45 books. The grand prize is $135 in Paypal cash. What are you waiting for? Click here to find the free Rafflecopter. Please note, we are asking for you to sign up for newsletters and such. We’ve had some authors get very rude emails from people who knew the rules of the giveaway and decided to be trolls about it when they received a newsletter. No one needs that kind of negativity.

In the meantime, I’m in a promotion with 19
other women writers on Book Funnel. You can check out the books here. There are romances, mysteries, shifter
stories and even a non-fiction. Don’t miss out. These are all free for a short
time.

Where will I be?:

I have a speaking engagement at the March 2nd PEO International meeting in Goodyear, AZ. See the above flyer for all of the information. You can find out more about PEO International at PEOInternational.org.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click
here
to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy
and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my
newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests!
Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on.
Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are
coming.

Don’t
forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the
newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Thank
you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes
time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the
recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support
this blog.

Adding
to his misery, he’d left the bodies where they were and left Woolsey and Brokaw
to their own devices as he hid in his tent for the rest of the night. He wasn’t
proud of it but he’d reached the end of his ability to deal with the death. It
was midday before he came out, sleepless and heartsick.

His
hope that the two mining men would have dealt with the bodies was overly
optimistic. The four lay where they’d died but the mining men were squatting,
ignoring the bodies, around the fire, their interminable cans of beans heating
beside the fire. Zeke swallowed his earnest desire to smash the both of them
with the nearby shovel for their disregard of human life and offered a pale
greeting. “Mornin’”

“Mr.
Stanford. Greetings from a great day,” Woolsey offered. “We reigned supreme in
the end. A fine Arizona morning.”

Zeke
supposed it was and walked to the shovel he’d left by the arista. “So it is.
I’ll get to burying these men.”

Zeke
looked to the sky. Indeed, the crows and ravens were already circling. If the
men hadn’t been there, the birds would have already descended. “It’s not
Christian.” It was all he could offer. He’d held a hand in their deaths after
all, so he couldn’t be all condemning. “It’s right we bury them.”

Woolsey
sighed. It was clear the man thought Zeke a weak. “Very well.” He rose and
tossed the remains of his cup of coffee into the fire and pulled the can of
beans away. “Best get to it then.”

The
burying of four bodies made a long day and at the end, Zeke had nothing to
scribe into the wooden crosses for any of the men except Delbert but Outlaw
One, Outlaw Two and Outlaw Three. That made him even more sad than before. What
about their families? Who would mourn these men?

In
the meantime, the two mining men talked about nothing but the richness of
Zeke’s claim. They rode out the next day talking about ounces per ton, and the
method of transport. Zeke rode ahead so he couldn’t hear them. Scouting he
called it and blamed the Apache attack he’d suffered weeks ago. Really, he just
couldn’t stand the sound of them any longer. He missed the days of riding on
his own. Working on his own.

When
they got into town, he bid them farewell and rode out into the chaparral. He
needed to get some quiet. Two days later, he rode into Mrs. Estrada’s. Cesar
hurried from the barn. “Mr. Zeke! Are you all right? We were so worried when we
heard the mining men were back but you were gone!”

Zeke
dismounted. More guilt piling up. “Sorry, Cesar. I just needed to get their voices
out of my head.”

Cesar
nodded. “It’s good you are back. Miss Mary is so worried.”

Zeke
closed his eyes. Of course Mary was worried. What was he thinking. “I’ll make
it up, Cesar. Thank you.” For once, he let Cesar take Butters and lead him into
the barn while he went to the house. He remembered his manners and was doing
his best to beat the dust from his clothes when Mary raced down the steps and
slammed into him in a huge hug.

“Zeke!
Zeke! I’ve been so worried.” She hugged him so hard he didn’t think he could
breathe. That’s when she slapped him in the face making him stagger. “What do
you think you were doing! You disappeared without a word. I’ve been worried
sick.” She advanced on him until he retreated across the yard to avoid her
wrath. She was like the stories of the Norse Valkyrie, avenging goddess, hair
flying in the breeze, full of fire and ice. He’d never seen anyone more
beautiful.

“I’m
sorry. Sorry.” He held out his hands in supplication, trying to hold off her
anger.

“Sorry
doesn’t make it right!” She crossed her arms, breath coming fast from her
anger. “I was worried sick. You just disappeared. The sheriff has men out
looking for you!”

“I
apologize. I’ll apologize to the sheriff, too. Mary. It’s been a hard week.
Will you forgive me?”

She
smoothed her loose tendrils of hair back as though her hair angered her as
well. He wondered that it didn’t come out by the roots. “Very well. But you’d
better have a good explanation.”

“I do.” He convinced her to walk with him and they wandered across Mrs. Estrada’s little ranch. First, feet apart, then closer. By the time they were by the stream, they were hand in hand. By the time the supper bell rang, they had reconciled.

The
next day started early. The men seemed eager, for a change, to get started. It
was a hike up to the mine. Once there, he stopped and looked around. With any
luck at all, this would be the last time he would climb up here. The view was
of rolling hills, studded with alligator juniper and shrub oak. As the mining
men examined the entrance, Zeke watched a javalina and her juvenile offspring
trot, single file, across the prairie.

“You
mind if we go in?”

“Go ahead,” Zeke said. “See what you’re payin’ for.”

He
sat down and enjoyed the view as they went in. The sweat from the climb cooled
his back as he wiped his face with his bandana. It seemed strange to be showing
people his mine. He’d kept it secret for so long.

A
noise behind him made him turn. Were the men done already?

He
was face to face with a gun barrel. When he raised his eyes, it was the man
from the alley, the night of the dance.

“Ha!
The look on your face. Thought you were done with me, didn’t ya?”

Three
more men crept down the hillside on each side of the mine entrance. Zeke could
hardly form a coherent thought. Weren’t they supposed to be in jail in Globe?

The
man waved his gun. “Get over there, out of sight of the entrance.” Zeke slowly
got up and moved to the spot indicated. The other three men took position next
to the entrance, out of sight of the two who would come out. Zeke eyed his
rifle, lying on the ground where he’d been sitting. The man holding him at
gunpoint picked it up and tossed it down the slope. “Just take it easy, there,
son. No sense getting shot.”

Zeke
agreed with him there. What was this guy’s name? “Delbert. You don’t have to do
this.”

Delbert
laughed. “Shut up. On your knees.” He moved behind Zeke. “You just keep quiet
now. No callin’ out to your friends.”

Zeke
felt helpless. He wasn’t friends with the mining men but he didn’t want to see
them shot. “How’d you escape?”

“None
of your business. Shut up.”

They
waited, the sun beating down. Zeke could feel a trickle of sweat run down his
spine. Could he warn the mining men somehow?

Delbert
jabbed him with the gun barrel. “No ideas. I’ll shoot you first.”

Zeke
guessed his thoughts were obvious. All he could think about now was Mary. Would
she ever know what happened? Eventually. The coordinates were on the claim. Mr.
Markum would send people out if he didn’t return, wouldn’t he?

He
looked up. He could hear Woolsey and Brokaw talking as they came out. They were
feet outside the entrance when they noticed Zeke on his knees, Delbert behind
him.

“Howdy
boys.” Delbert pointed at them as they stopped.

His
partners moved behind the two mining men. Guns pointed at their backs.

“That’ll
be far enough.” Delbert jabbed Zeke. “Stand up and get over there with them.”

Once
Zeke was there Delbert said, “Now drop those gunbelts and kick them over here.”

Zeke
watched the mining men slowly unbuckle the belts. Didn’t they have any tricks?
He sighed as the belts hit the dirt and they kicked them over. Apparently not.

“Tie
‘em up.”

Zeke
could feel his hands pulled back and tied behind him. The rope was biting into
his wrists. “Let’s get them back to camp.”

The
walk back was difficult. It was hard to keep his balance with his hands behind
him. Once at camp, Delbert’s men tied the three of them to a tree and proceeded
to explore the camp. One went for wood and soon they had a fire going and had
Zeke’s food out and being cooked.

As
night fell, Zeke worked the rope on his wrists. He was hungry but worse, he was
thirsty. And angry. Not only was he tied up in his own camp, but they hadn’t
even cared for the horses. He could hear Butters whinnying in complaint.

“Shut
that horse up!”

“He’s
thirsty and hungry.” Zeke felt he had to call out. He didn’t want his horse
shot.

“Shut
up, boy.”

“Feed
the horses, Dan.”

“Why
do I have to do it?”

“You
want a ride out of here, don’t ya?”

There
was mumbling Zeke couldn’t hear but the man was getting up to do what he was
told.

“We
could use some water,” Zeke called out.

Delbert
laughed. “I’ll bet you could, boy.” The others with him laughed as well.

Zeke
sighed and settled back.

“Nice
try, son,” Woolsey said.

“You
two have any ideas?”

“Nope,”
Brokaw said. “Never been in this situation before.”

Great,
Zeke thought. He continued to work at the ropes. His hands were slick. Blood,
more’n likely, but he continued. Maybe they’d get slippery enough to get out of
the ropes.

Eventually,
Delbert’s men lay quiet around the dying fire. Zeke watched and worked. It
seemed the ropes were getting looser. Twice he’d jerked awake, having fallen
asleep as he worried the ropes.

The
night sky wheeled around, and Zeke finally broke a hand loose. The moon had
risen, and he could see blood dripping from his fingertips. He put a hand on
Woolsey’s shoulder. “Stay quiet.” He untied Woolsey, then did the same with
Brokaw. They wriggled out of the rope wrapping them around the tree. Zeke’s leg
was asleep, and he could hardly stand on it as the prickles made his leg feel
like ants were crawling all over it.

The
three crept up on the sleeping men. Zeke went for Delbert, a rock in hand.
Woolsey had a rock as well and Brokaw had a broken tree limb. Just as Zeke
reached Delbert, the man rolled over in his sleep, muttering something.
Terrified, Zeke smashed the man’s head. Woolsey and Brokaw did the same.

Zeke sank to his knees and did a sudden turn. The bile was a bitter as his anguish.

Slave
Elf is back from it’s second round with the editor. I have some cleaning up to
do and then copy/line edits, then I can publish. If you’re excited about the
new version, I have it on pre-order at Amazon. You can order here. I think you’ll like the
new version. It’s tightened up to make it more exciting and the inconsistencies
in names, and such, are now eliminated.

My
western, Gold Dreams, is back from my editor, EJ. **Waves at EJ** I’ll be
getting to those edits as soon as I finish Slave Elf.

Giveaways:

The Valentine’s day giveaway is open and there
are 45 prizes to give away and 45 books. The grand prize is $135 in Paypal cash.
What are you waiting for? Click here to find
the free Rafflecopter.

In the meantime, I’m in a promotion with 19
other women writers on Book Funnel. You can check out the books here. There are romances, mysteries, shifter
stories and even a non-fiction. Don’t miss out. These are all free for a short
time.

Where will I be?:

I’m going to be in Black Canyon City at the Heritage
Park on January 26th for their Winter and Book Fest. There is so
much planned for the day you don’t want to miss any of it. You can find out
more at https://blackcanyonheritagepark.org/winter-events/,
for directions and the schedules of events. It’s just one day so mark your
calendars!

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click
here
to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy
and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my
newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests!
Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on.
Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are
coming.

Don’t
forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the
newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Thank
you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes
time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the
recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support
this blog.

Zeke
seldom traveled with others and Woolsey’s and Brokaw’s incessant talking was
annoying. If it had been interesting or informative, it would have been
different but the two just traded tales of saloons and fights and loose women.
Dirty jokes figured heavily into their repartee. From their talk, it seemed
they didn’t travel together all the time. And neither man seemed to be married.
Neither of them ever mentioned a wife or children. What kind of life was that?

They
stopped at midday to rest the horses and eat a bite. Neither man had thought to
bring a lunch, so Zeke shared his ham biscuits. He was surprised they’d
remembered to fill their canteens.

Just
before sundown, Zeke stopped at his usual camping spot, off of the trail, just
for safety. The two men were about to sit and make themselves comfortable when
Zeke realized what they were doing. He suggested they take care of their
horses, then for Brokaw to gather wood for a fire. They made a bit of fun at
him for being bossy but did as they were told. Zeke made sure the horses were
hobbled properly. He did not want to have to go looking for horses in the
morning.

When
he finished, he was pleasantly surprised to see that the pair had managed to
light a fire. They were pulling cans from their saddle bags.

Zeke
pulled his small cast iron skillet from his bag and a couple slices of bacon.
He got those frying then pulled a coffee pot out and dropped in a few spoonsful
of coffee. One of the reasons he camped here was a small spring nearby. He
filled the pot and his canteen and put the pot on the fire. The bacon done, he
added a little flour to the grease, stirring it all around and then piling it
into a biscuit shape. He let that cook and pulled out his cup and spread his
bedroll on the ground.

The
two others had opened their cans and set them beside the fire. They watched
Zeke with interest. “How’d you learn to do that,” Brokaw asked as Zeke formed
his pan biscuit.

“My
ma showed me before I left home. The bacon fat already has salt in it.” He
shrugged. “Not as good as baked, but it fills the stomach.”

“Smart.”
Woolsey checked his can. He stirred it up from the bottom, losing a little bit
of the canned beans over the side. “Dang.”

They
ate, mostly the two mining company men talking about fancy restaurants they’d
been to in Denver and Tucson. Zeke grunted in spots to let them know he was
still awake. After he ate he cleaned his pan, added water, then beans. He used
the cast iron lid to cover it and put it beside his bedroll.

“What’s
that for?” Woolsey asked.

“Breakfast.”

“Smart.”
Brokaw nudged Woolsey with a grin. “The boy’s smart.”

Zeke
sighed silently and after banking the fire, lay down to sleep. It was going to
be a long trip.

The
next two days went the same as the first. By the time they made Zeke’s
permanent camp, he was thoroughly sick of his two companions. A quick check
made it clear to him that nothing had been disturbed. He gave the two men his
tent. Anything to separate him from them for even a short while. Zeke showed
them the creek and mentioned that he had panned some gold there. But it was up
in the hills that the mine was.

For
the first time the men looked competent. They waded out into the stream and
probed around a little, muttering to themselves and each other. They peered up
at the hills and still talking, gestured possible water flows and rock
formations. Zeke washed up, and went back to camp, collecting fire wood as he
went. By the time it was dark and the two men had returned, the fire was going,
the horses had been cared for and Zeke was making his dinner.

They walked around the camp, admiring the layout and his arrastra. They asked informed questions about how he’d searched out the gold, and nodded with understanding as he talked about the potato and mercury trick. While they ate, they told him about other miners and how they’d done their work. Finally, Zeke thought, something useful from these two. Maybe the Apache don’t have to kill them. The evening passed quickly, and Zeke bid the two good night as they retired to the tent.

The next morning he said goodbye to Mary and after stashing a napkin-wrapped bundle of biscuits with butter and ham in his saddle bag, he left for town. It was a good day, starting off cool with the sky a clear blue. Birds sang as he passed, and a coyote hurried across the road ahead of him. He mentally reviewed the contents of his saddle-bags. Mrs. Estrada had been generous, and he had beans and flour and bacon enough for the nine days he planned to be gone. He had some cornmeal as well to make cornbread if there was time. His canteens were full, and he had feed for Butters too. This was just supposed to be a quick trip. He hoped it would go according to plan and that Mr. Woolsey and Mr. Brokaw were experienced outdoorsmen. If they were tenderfeet, it was going to be a long trip.

Markum
was on the hotel porch in one of the rocking chairs, when Zeke arrived. He tied
Butters to a rail and went up the steps. “Mr. Markum. Mornin’.”

“Good
morning, Zeke. Woolsey and Brokaw were just finishing breakfast. They’ll be out
shortly.”

Zeke
nodded and took the chair next to Markum. “They have supplies for nine days?”

“I
believe so. I saw them in the general store yesterday, buying supplies. I put
in a good word with them at the livery, to get good horses.” The man eyed Zeke.
“You have everything you need?”

“I
do. It’s out and back, so I didn’t bring a lot.”

Markum
nodded. “The men who ambushed you are being sent down to Globe for trial.”

“Good.”
Zeke was relieved. “I wondered how that was going to be handled.”

“The
sheriff found some wanted posters. He telegraphed the sheriff down there. Turns
out they are wanted for several claim-jumping and assault charges. Colton told
me you have some reward money coming.”

Zeke
rubbed his face and nodded. It wasn’t that the money wasn’t welcome. Between
the three gunmen and however much these brush-poppers were going to bring in,
he had several years-worth of income in the bank. Nothing to scoff at. But the
stares and the speculation were more than he wanted to deal with. Even as he
thought that, men passing by were looking at him. He couldn’t wait to get out
on the trail. “Appreciate the news.” He turned to look at the front doors of
the hotel. They were open to the morning air. Where were those men?

“They’ll
be out soon.”

Zeke
looked at him with eyebrows raised.

Markum
laughed. “I can see you looking for them.”

Zeke
nodded. “Just want to get going before the day gets hot.”

“Of
course.”

So
they waited, talking about the assay business, mining in general, and some of
the town gossip. It was an hour and a half before Woolsey and Brokaw came out
the front doors. “Ready?” Woolsey said.

He
was more jovial than he had a right to be as far as Zeke was concerned. They at
least had their saddlebags in hand. “Ready.” He stood up and shook Markum’s
hand. “Appreciate you coming out, Mr. Markum.”

“Glad
to be here, Mr. Stanford.” He tipped his hat to the mining company men. “Safe
trip, gentlemen.”

“We
plan on it,” Brokaw said.

“I’ll
walk with you to the livery,” Zeke told them. He left the porch and untied
Butters as Markum shook their hands. Finally, they left the porch and headed to
the livery. Zeke, leading Butters, walked with them. “You have to do this
often? Travel out to some mine or other, I mean.”

“Often
enough,” Woolsey replied. “All over the west. Where ever the company sends us
to look.”

Zeke
thought that sounded uncomfortable at best. He was mining now, but when he was
married and settled down, he wanted to sleep at home in his own bed.

“How
about you, son. You been mining long?”

Zeke
shrugged. “A little over a year, now. Left my Pa’s ranch and came west.”

Brokaw
nodded. “Sowing a little wild oats?”

Zeke
didn’t like the way the man sneered. “Just looking for a strike. Then for a
good place to ranch.”

The conversation ended when they reached the livery. The man had the horses ready to go. Zeke was glad. He was ready to get on the trail. Once they had their saddlebags in place and were mounted, Zeke got on Butters and led the men out of town and across the chaparral. It was good to get back out on the trail.

The
new year is here and for me, it comes with some sadness. As I mentioned last
week, my mom was in bad condition. She passed away, just about 7am, on New
Year’s Eve. Since then I’ve been up to my chin in all of the things that have
to be done when someone in your family dies. Way too many things, I think, for
people who are grieving. No matter. Later this week I’ll fly back to New York
and say farewell to my mother with my sister and brothers, friends and other
family.

Other
new year news. Both of my stories, Gold Dreams and Slave Elf are being edited.
Slave Elf is already back to me. (Bless you, Katarina, for working over the
holidays!) I’ll have it out in February for all of you fantasy fans. It’s going
to be highly edited from the raw story you read on my blog so if you’d like to
see the changes, be alert for my published announcement!

The
other book is my western, Gold Dreams. That is still with my editor, EJ.
**Waves at EJ** It’s a novelette and is also based on my short stories released
on the blog. Again, changes from the raw stories you read there. I want to have
that done in about 2 weeks. So stay tuned.

Giveaways:

The Christmas Giveaway is over and soon the
Valentine’s day giveaway will be up, then I’ll notify my winners.

Women Write Club 2019

In the meantime, I’m in a promotion with 19 other women writers on Book Funnel. You can check out the books here. There are romances, mysteries, shifter stories and even a non-fiction. Don’t miss out. These are all free for a short time.

Where Will I Be?

I’m at the Black Canyon Heritage park on January 26th. Stop on by and check out both my books and the other author’s books. Should be a lot of fun!

Newsletter Sign Up:

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Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on.
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you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes
time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the
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